


𝐃𝐘𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐘: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐒 • ʰᵃᵏᵘᵒᵘᵏⁱ [¹]

by yoroireiner (blueflameddabi)



Series: The Dynasty Series • Hakuouki [2]
Category: Hakuouki
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:26:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28928760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueflameddabi/pseuds/yoroireiner
Summary: ❝the scar i can't reverse, when the more it heals, the worse it hurts❞© frosch, 2018
Relationships: Harada Sanosuke/Yukimura Chizuru, Kazama Chikage/Yukimura Chizuru, Okita Souji/Yukimura Chizuru
Series: The Dynasty Series • Hakuouki [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2121714
Kudos: 3





	1. 00 • Story Details

**Rating:** Mature

**Warnings:** Graphic Depictions of Violence

**Category:** F/M

 **Fandom:** Hakuouki

 **Relationship:** Kazama Chikage/Yukimura Chizuru, Harada Sanosuke/Yukimura Chizuru, Okita Souji/Yukimura Chizuru

 **Characters:** Kazama Chikage, Yukimura Chizuru, Nagumo Kaoru, Harada Sanosuke, Nagakura Shinpachi, Okita Souji, Saitou Hajime, Kondou Isami, Yamazaki Susumu, Toudou Heisuke, Kyo Shiranui, Amagiri Kyuju, Hijikata Toshizou

 **Language:** English

 **Series:** Part 2 of the The Dynasty Series • Hakuouki series

**Cover:**

**Description:**

❝the scar i can't reverse, when the more it heals, the worse it hurts❞

 **Dynasty (noun)** \- a line of hereditary rulers of a country.

Chizuru Yukimura is a Devil Princess; the second last of her Bloodline. The only other family member she has is her brother. Their parents were slaughtered by the Humans when they would not help defeat one of the Humans' enemies. Their wars never concerned the Devils before, and there was no need for that to change.

Everything changes the day she meets a member of the Shinsengumi - a group of samurai who are responsible for creating the Furies that slaughter anything in sight all for blood. More than that, she reunites with one she believed had died when she was but a child. Everything she believed is about to be turned upside down.

© frosch, 2018


	2. 01 • A Coat of Ice

The washed out red of my outfit helps me blend into the bustling crowds of Humans eager to complete their daily shopping without much of a hassle. The clamour makes my ears hurt, and the dust they are kicking up is stinging my eyes and making my vision blurry. There’s the chatter of the Humans, the bone-chilling sound of crunching and grinding stones beneath their feet, and the pathetic, mournful cacophony of distressed animals that are ready to be sold.

There’s a smell of bitter sickness in the air, and it catches my interest, pulling me from the opera of every day life. Whoever is sick, is too sick to be out in this mess, but they’re out any way. What would bring them out? The scent strengthens and I feel my eyes flare slightly as they catch sight of an ice blue material coat, and a small growl rumbles in my chest. It’s drowned in the crowd, but a pair of deep blue eyes look in my direction, apprehension clear in them.

As I meet them, I smile warmly and nod my head in recognition. It’s always common courtesy to be polite - even if those you are polite to do not deserve the kindness. The man nods in response and his eyes return to sweeping the crowds for any sign of danger. My smile vanishes and my eyes turn hard, anger bubbling just below the surface of my emotional shell.

“Shinsengumi bastards,” someone mutters from beside me, and several people grumble in agreement. I look over to the older men and tilt my head to the side as I listen. “Those bastards need to keep their noses out of our business.”

“What have they been doing here?” I dare to ask.

The other man’s eyes darken. “They’ve let loose their little pets and many have died in their wake. They’re not protecting anyone but themselves.”

“They did the same back in Edo.” I feel my eyes flare for a split second as images rush through my mind; red eyes glowing in pale faces surrounded by billowing white. “I lost my entire family to them - all except my brother.”

The men turn solemn and one claps me on the shoulder, a sign of comfort that I gladly accept. After a moment, I turn away from the group of men. They continue their conversation as I slowly make my way after the men in coats of ice. The crowd appears to be parting as I make my way through it, but I know that I am only making it to the edge of the Humans. Many crowd in the centre, but there are still stragglers and those who cannot afford anything but to admire the pieces for sale.

The vibrant colour of their uniforms causes them to stand out from within the washed out colours of the crowd, and that’s just what I need. Although, I’d be able to follow them by scent alone if it was required of me. Right now, it’s easier just to rely on sight - even if the bitter scent of sickness is blossoming in the air and clogging my nose. It’s making me feel sick just smelling it. Drowning in the sickness is a young man, and there is no way Humanly possible that he’d be able to recover from this. It is a common sickness, but it is deadly. 

Tuberculosis. 

He is going to die painfully and without hope for respite. Chills, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite - he has it all to look forward to. That is, if it has not already begun. There’s also a high chance that he has already started coughing up blood. If that is occurring, there is only a small window in which he is able to be saved by a Devil. He’s only a few months before that window is closed, and he is going to be suffering greatly in those upcoming months.

“You poor Human,” I murmur, deftly maneuvering my way through the Humans. Pity rises within me and I feel my eyes soften their hard shell. “You don’t deserve this death - even if you and your creations did slaughter my family.”

Someone goes to a standstill directly in front of me and I have no time to stop. I connect with their solid frame and stumble backwards, tripping over and landing ungracefully on the rocky ground. The man I ran into turns around and stares down at me, his face twisted into a sneer and his eyes burning dangerously with anger. My eyes widen slightly in shock and I swallow slightly, trying to bury my rising anger at this man before me.

“You little brat,” the older man snarls, distaste dripping from his deep, droning voice. “How dare you barge yourself into me! Did your mother teach you no manners, young man?”

I bite back my harsh response.

“What? Nothing to say, brat? Not even an apology for the damage you caused?”

I grit my teeth. “I did nothing. You stopped abruptly and I had no time to stop myself.”

His eyes burn with anger and he grips my collar, dragging me to my feet and glaring deep into my eyes. “Why you insolent brat! How dare you speak to me in such a way! You truly know no manners, do you? You are nothing but a street rat, and yet you believe you have the right to say such lies!”

“I am neither a street rat nor a liar.”

The man raises his hand and, for the first time in years, I feel the sickening fear rise within me. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut and turn my head to the side in an attempt to dodge the blow. I feel the air move, and I know it’s coming. Then, it just stops in mid air. The sound of skin meeting skin is all I need to hear. Someone stopped the blow - some fleeting Human just stopped it.

I slowly open my eyes to see the blue eyed man from before, and he’s not alone. A man with brilliant evergreen eyes is staring at the older man with almost unbridled rage, and his hand is resting on the hilt of his katana. Beside him is a younger male - not much younger than me by the looks of him - and his blue-green eyes are dark with distaste and annoyance. Standing on my other side are two more males - these two grinning like madmen. The shorter of the two has a green cloth wrapped in his reddish-brown hair and has his hands resting on his hips, a smirk on his face but annoyance dancing in his blue eyes. The final male has bright red hair and deep burgundy eyes that draw me in, and, in place of a sword, he is resting a spear over his shoulder and grinning at the perpetrator before him.

It is him that speaks, and I realise that he has a lisp. “Now, what do we have here?”

The older man before me bares his teeth in anger. “This little brat needs to learn some manners!”

“How so?” the man with the bandana asks almost cheekily, his grin widening. “What exactly did this young one do?”

“He barged right into me and said no apologies. He is a filthy street rat with no manners.”

I growl lowly in my throat and my eyes harden. “I told you! I am no street rat!”

“You shut your mouth, brat!”

The indigo haired man clears his throat, drawing my eyes. “Perhaps we should let this one explain what happened.”

The evergreen eyed man chuckles, gripping the older man’s other wrist and forcing him to release my collar. I drop back to the ground and almost crumple as my foot twists to the side, a small yelp leaving me as I start to descend. The man with the burgundy eyes instinctively wraps an arm around my waist to stop me from hitting the ground, and then his eyes widen in realization before turning harsh as they look at the man before us.

“You bastard,” he hisses, his tone sending chills down my spine. “You were about to hit a woman! You are a disgrace.”

The man’s eyes widen considerably as they move to me. “Y-You’re female?”

I snort in derision, glaring the older man. “What gave you the impression that I was male? The clothes? If that’s it, I suggest you take a good look at what you perceive a woman to look like.”

The man with the green cloth chuckles. “You heard the woman.”

I turn my gaze to the reddish-brown haired male and narrow my eyes. He meets my angered gaze and raises his hands in defence, obviously realising that he has just offended me. I pull away from the burgundy eyed male and cross my arms, scanning the group of Shinsengumi before me. None resemble those that slaughtered my family, but there is a hint of familiarity wafting from the group. I remember seeing them somewhere, but I do not recall when or where it was.

I meet the evergreen eyes of the kaga kiyomitsu katana wielding male and watch as a devious grin decorates his pale face. The bitter scent of sickness is all that I can smell right now, and it’s coming directly from him. A small rag is hanging out from his sword belt, and there is a scent of blood lingering on it. It’s still fresh, which means it must have only been used in the past half an hour. My eyes drift back up to his face and I notice that his eyes have darkened considerably. His fist is clenched tightly and anger is seeping out of his pores.

The burgundy eyed man beside me gently shakes me. “Are you still with us, miss?”

I look over at him and see his worried expression. “What is it that you want from me? Or am I allowed to go home now? My brother will be beginning to worry.”

“I’m afraid we cannot let you go home,” the indigo haired man states emotionlessly.

“Why is that?”

“We have reason to believe you wish us harm. You have been following us all afternoon.”

A laugh breaks free from my lips and I quickly cover my mouth as everyone stares at me. “I do apologise if it seemed that way. You see, my home is in the same direction you have been heading.”

The young man with blue-green eyes beside the indigo haired man frowns lightly. “There are no houses out the way we were going. It is nothing but forest.”

“My brother and I live in a small house in the forest. We are not very… social people, if you will. We prefer to be away from others. We’ve had many a bad experience with other people.”

The indigo haired man narrows his eyes in suspicion. “Such as?”

I bristle at the threatening undercurrent in his voice. “Such as delicate matters that I will not be disclosing to complete and utter strangers, thank you, sir.”

He visibly flinches at my verbal attack, and I watch as the two beside him shift uncomfortably. The older man from before quietly walks away, the reddish-brown haired man’s eyes watching him carefully until he is gone from the street. I cross my arms over my chest and stare down the evergreen eyed man, making him look away from my intense gaze with a flushed face.

I stand with them for a moment more before letting out a sigh and walking away, fixing my messy hair up from when I fell. Footsteps sound behind me and I quickly pull my short sword from its scabbard. I spin on the spot and hold the blade barely an inch from the man’s throat. He stares down at me with widened eyes before smiling softly, making me lower my blade slightly. His hands slowly raise in surrender and I sheath my short sword before staring at him with annoyance.

“What is it you want?”

The red haired man scratches the back of his neck. “My name’s Sanosuke Harada.”

My eyes soften slightly, but I stay on my guard. “Chizuru Yukimura. I’ll ask again, what is it you want?”

“I want to apologise for Hajime pushing you. He is not very subtle.”

“It’s alright. He’s not the first to ask.”

“I could tell by how you reacted when he asked.” Harada’s expression turns hesitant as he opens his mouth before closing it again. “I am sorry for your loss.”

I clench my jaw. “Do not ever say that again. Understood, Sanosuke Harada? I do not want neither your sympathy or pity.”

“Chizuru-chan, I apologise. I did not mean to offend you.”

His burgundy eyes are honest, and there is nothing hiding within them. His features are soft, yet sharp, and hold a beauty that I have never seen before on a Human man. All Devils have beauty, but not all Humans. They are usually harsh and unforgiving with no sense of the finer things in life. This Human is different, in more ways than one.

“You want something else,” I state, my voice soft. “What is it, Sanosuke-sama?”

Harada’s expression turns surprised.

“It’s alright. What is it?”

“I just don’t believe it is right for a woman to be walking alone at this time of day. If something were to happen, I would feel as though I was responsible for allowing you to walk away.”

“What a strange Human,” Kaoru sighs, making me look over my shoulder at him. He is dressed as though he is female, and it does suit him. His features are finer than mine, but not by much. “Tell me, Sanosuke Harada, what is it you truly want with my sister?”


	3. 02 • A Mouthful of Bitterness

Kaoru’s caramel brown eyes are glowing with apprehension for the member of the Shinsengumi before us, and I can see a hint of bright gold beginning to seep through with his anger. Harada, on the other hand, is staring at my brother with widened eyes. His burgundy eyes flicker between myself and Kaoru many times before settling back on me, surprise evident in them.

“I take this is your brother, Chizuru-chan.”

I smile, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. “Of course. Sanosuke Harada, this is my twin brother Kaoru Yukimura. Kaoru, you know who this is already. Somehow.”

Kaoru chuckles and walks over to me, not even stumbling in the ridiculous shoes he is wearing. “Of course I know a member of the Shinsengumi. How could I not? They come to work quite often.”

“I suppose they would, being men and all.”

Kaoru works at the local geiko house in order to pay for our food and clothes. He works most nights from sundown until almost the middle of the night, and none even have the slightest inkling that it is not I working for them, but my twin brother. I, on the other hand, go out and buy what we need with the money that Kaoru earns. Apparently, it is not the life we were raised with, but it is the life I have known since we were young children without anyone to provide for Kaoru and myself.

Kaoru’s long hair is pulled back into a traditional bun style, and strands are already falling free from his beautiful job. Heavy makeup decorates his feminine features, and his brilliant red lips are pulled into a devious smirk as his painted eyes take in Harada. A floral overcoat adorns Kaoru’s slim figure, and a small amount of green and red are visible from the layers beneath it. A strip of pale pink material keeps the clothes in place, and a pair of wooden shoes adorn his feet.

I scan over his figure. “It must be an important night tonight. You’re dressed up.”

Kaoru smiles at me, draping his arms over my shoulders and resting his chin on his arm. “Oh, Chizuru, you notice quite a lot, do you not? I didn’t think you were going to miss this.” He moves his mouth to my ear. “Although, you have missed the fact that these men are quite dear to you. Do you remember them, little sister? Do you remember our Human friends?”

“Kaoru, what do you mean by that?” I look over my shoulder at my twin with confused eyes. “Our Human friends?”

“Your mind has blocked our childhood before our family were slaughtered.” He pulls away from me and smiles sadly, water building up in his saddened eyes. “You have forgotten so much, Chizuru. So have they, but they still know you, and you them.”

I watch as Kaoru bids farewell to Harada, and waves to the remaining Shinsengumi, before hugging me goodbye. His eyes are sad - begging me to remember - but there is still a warm smile on his face as he kisses me on the cheek and walks away. His words are torrents in my mind, smashing against the barriers my mind has built to block my childhood from me. The familiarity of the Shinsengumi members is tugging at the barriers also, and I can feel them slowly weakening.

“What did he mean, Chizuru-chan?” Harada’s lisp sounds beside me. “He said we know each other. I admit, you remind me of someone, but I am not sure if we truly know each other.”

I sigh. “Sano, I don’t remember my childhood. My mind has blocked it because of what happened to me and my brother. I am of no help to any of you. Saito is your best bet.”

Harada stares at me.

“Why are you giving me that ridiculous look?”

“You just called Hajime by his last name. None of us told you it.”

I frown. “I did?”

“You also called me ‘Sano’. Only Shinpachi calls me that anymore. No one else calls me that - not for a long time.” He pauses. “Not since I was a child, actually. How strange. Kaoru-chan might be right, Chizuru-chan. We might know each other.”

“Either way, we will not know for sure until my memories return.” I stare at the ground. “I have to remember, Sano. Without my memories, I’m not sure who I am.”

I look over at the other four members of the Shinsengumi and feel a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. It’s instinctive. Heisuke is pouting at something either Souji or Shinpachi said, and the latter two are teasing them. Hajime is standing with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed, a smile gracing his usually emotionless face. The scene before me is missing something - no, someone. Harada’s chuckle sounds and a memory flutters into my mind.

“Sano, this is familiar. So familiar that it hurts.” My voice is barely above a whisper. “I can even remember your names, but I still don’t know who you were to me - or who any of you are at all.”

Laughter echoes in my mind and my smile wavers slightly, my eyes starting to drown in tears. They are Shinsengumi - people who killed my entire family, save my brother and myself - and, yet, Kaoru said that he, I, Harada and the others were all friends during our childhoods. My brother and I were friends with children who joined a group of murderers. It makes no sense to me, and it is starting to make my anger boil just below the surface.

Instantly, I turn on my heel and run into the trees not too far away. Harada’s calls fall upon deaf ears, but they haunt me as the trees around me blur into masses of green and brown. The anger within me becomes too much and I cry out, striking a tree and unleashing a powerful force. Wind swirls around me with vehemence, gold and blue streaks spinning in the untamable swirl. It drags my hair out of its ponytail and into my vision, turning it pure white. The small cuts from my fall glow before healing, a small amount of steam floating up as it does.

“Damn it. Damn it all! This is pointless!”

“Is it really, Chizuru Yukimura?”

I look over my shoulder to see a blond man. “Who are you and what do you want?”

He smirks. “I see that you cannot hide that Royal tone.”

“Royal? What do you mean?”

“I see. Your mind had protected itself by blocking out your entire childhood. Even so, your senses can’t lie to you. You know those Shinsengumi, and you know me. After all, we are something special. Although, I will leave out that detail until you regain your memories.”

His scent hits me and my eyes flutter closed on instinct, pleasure washing through me. He smells like lilacs and sugar. It’s addictive, and I cannot get enough of it. The scent washes over me and I feel myself fall back onto the tree for support, my heart racing and my entire body shaking. It’s like I am free - nothing is holding me down, and everything is alright. The feeling is indescribable, but, if I had to describe it, I’d say one word - pleasure.

I force my glowing eyes open and stare at him. “Chikage.”

His smile is beautiful and it warms my heart. “Chizuru, you remember my name.”

“But nothing more. I’m sorry. I wish I could remember.”

“You will, and then I will not need to explain anything to you.” 

He turns and begins to walk into the trees. I go to call out to him, but bite my tongue. I do not need to ask him if I am going to see him again - I will always see him again. That much I know. He is always there, and he always has his friends with him - not this time though. Closing my eyes, I can still sense him as if he is right in front of me. That makes me feel as though I am not alone right now. Although, until Kaoru gets home at midnight, I still have no one to talk to.

I snort in amusement and make my way back to the house, weaving in and out of trees and stepping over broken branches from the release of my anger and annoyance. I caused quite a bit of damage, but we are far enough out of town that no one will notice until we level the entire forest. The majority of the damage out here is due to either Kaoru’s or my anger, removal of trees to expand on our house over the years, or our many duels. Any and all of them are plausible reasons.

The house was originally a small shelter Kaoru built to spare us from the weather one night. Days later, I returned from the nearby river to find Kaoru hammering nails he had stolen from the town into trees that he had cut down for firewood. Along with the nails, he had stolen a saw, and that allowed him to saw the trees in half to only use half the amount of wood per wall. There were already three walls completed, and there was a roof half completed as well. It was then I realised that we would finally have a place to call home, and somewhere we would be safe.

Looking upon the once small cabin, I can tell the rough work from when we first built it from the more smooth and crafted work from the more current renovations. The original structure is a small lounge room, and to the left is the dining room. Behind that lies the kitchen. The right side of the lounge room opens into a small hallway, holding doors to the bathroom, Kaoru’s room, and my room. Since the kitchen and dining room were added, we decided to grow the majority of our food out the back. That led to a door being built into the wall of the kitchen to allow us to go into the garden.

I sigh and sit on the tree stump just outside the door, staring up at the greying sky. The sun is dipping below the blue mountains in the distance, and it is sending a storm of colour shooting through the sky. Pinks and blues and purples and oranges and yellows and reds. The white of the clouds is a stark contrast to the bright colours the setting sun creates, but it is beautiful. The sun is bathing everything in a warm glow that allows me to smile honestly for the first time all day. The glow gives my golden eyes the illusion that they are glowing yellow, but that is not the case. They are not glowing right now.

The silence is broken by someone walking, crunching twigs and leaves beneath their feet as they make their way towards me. Instead of my features shifting, I force myself to remain as though I am Human. The bitter scent of sickness makes it obvious whom it is. The man with evergreen eyes and a kaga kiyomitsu katana, pale reddish-brown hair and a devilish smirk that graces his face. A loud snap sounds as the usually sure-footed man tramples a large branch.

“You were so quiet until just now.” I can’t contain the teasing in my tone. “Souji Okita, Captain of the Shinsengumi First Division, what can I help you with?”

Souji chuckles. “Harada was right. You do know our names.”

“That I do.”

“Chizuru Yukimura, who are you to us? That is what you can help me with.”

I smile sadly and look over my shoulder at him. “Oh, Souji, I wish I knew.”

“How do you not know?”

“My mind has protected itself from the trauma of my childhood by blocking most of it.”

Souji’s eyes darken considerably, and it makes my stomach drop. His eyes are tormented and borderline psychotic right at the moment. There’s so much darkness in them that it makes chills tremor down my spine. Something happened to him in his childhood - and it is still haunting him to this day. His mind did not block it out to protect itself. By the looks of it, his mind has clung to the trauma and has forced itself to become stronger.

“Your entire family was slaughtered.” Souji’s voice makes me freeze on the spot. His eyes are darker than before and he is gripping the hilt of his katana tightly. “The Shinsengumi killed them all - all except for you and your brother.”

My eyes turn harsh and I jump to my feet, glaring at the Human. “You have no right to bring that up! You shouldn’t even know about that!”

“I was there, Chizuru. I remember it all - your entire family is gone save for Kaoru.”

“Hold your tongue before I force you.”

“I remember you. We were friends - Saito, Harada, Shinpachi, Heisuke, Kaoru, you and me. Why do you not accept that? Can you not fathom being friends with Humans who joined those whom killed your family? Is that it?!”

I force my short sword from its scabbard and launch myself at Souji, standing only mere inches from him with my blade pressing to his throat. His hand is hovering over the hilt of his katana, but is making no move to draw it. The evergreen eyes that tug at my mind are full of disbelief and shock, and there is a hint of pride in them as well as smugness.

My eyes flare yellow and I watch as Souji freezes on the spot, the wind whipping his hair into a mess. My hair begins to turn stark white from the roots, zapping along my light brown hair to change it into a colour associated with purity and innocence. Amongst the white, ivory horns grow up out of my skull and stand inches tall, shimmering in the warm glow of the setting sun. The wind eventually stops, but my form stays the same.

Souji’s eyes are wider than I ever remember seeing them. “Chizuru.”

“Don’t.” My voice is harsh. “You have nothing to say to me! You left me behind! How could you, Souji? How could you leave us behind while they slaughtered our entire family?”

“I-”

“No. Don’t you say anything to me. There’s nothing you could say that would make me forgive you for that day. Nothing! You and Heisuke abandoned us! At least Harada and Saito attempted to help me! Even Shinpachi helped. He saved my brother. My only remaining family, Souji!”

Souji’s eyes flare angrily. “They took us! We had no choice!”

I bare my teeth at him and growl. “Your lies are getting more elaborate by the second.”

“How would you know they’re lies when you can’t remember anything?”

“I can smell it on you - along with your disease!”


	4. 03 • Tales of Mourning

The sound of a crow cawing is all that can be heard apart from our ragged breathing. My entire body is shaking with rage, and that means the stranger before me is in more danger of being injured than before. His eyes are dark and daring, and his jaw is tense almost to the point of getting a locked jaw. His body is rigid before me and shows no sign of moving any time soon, or suddenly. The sight makes my mind spin; I’ve seen it before.

Out of pure anger, I called him out on his deadly sickness. I drew to the surface his deepest, darkest secret that has never seen the light of day, and I used it to attack him without remorse or hesitation. That triggered something within him, but he isn't the only one to have something triggered within him. When he said that he had been there that day - as well as everyone else - it ripped down the barrier built in my mind and the memories flooded my mind.

“You can tell I’m sick?” Is that honestly the first thing he wants to ask?

I nod sharply. “I can smell it. It’s bitter with an acidic undertone.” 

His eyes close and his anger fades into resignation.

“Souji, I am sorry. I didn’t intentionally say that.”

“Even if you did, it’s alright. It’s about time that someone knew - I’ve been hiding it for months after all.”

I lower my short sword and place it back into its scabbard. His eyes are devoid of emotion and the evergreen that is usually present has dulled into something mimicking gray, making him look sicker than before. His skin is pale and drawn, but not so much as to draw attention to it. He sways on his feet and I gently take his arm, leading him to the tree stump I had been sitting on prior to my minor explosion of anger. He all but falls onto it, and that spikes worry inside me.

“Do…” I trail off and hesitate. He has the right to know there is something that can be done about his tuberculosis, but I don’t know how to tell him. There are too many factors in this decision, and a multitude of reactions that could occur before me.

Souji stares up at me, his eyes slightly dazed. “Do I what, Chizuru-chan?”

“There’s something that can be done about your tuberculosis. It is almost 100 percent effective, but there is also a small window that it can be done in. You only have a matter of months before your window is closed, so, you still have some time to decide.”

“What is it?”

I hesitantly look into his lively eyes. “You can be changed into a Devil - and not the things you call Furies. I am talking about a true Devil - like myself and Kaoru.”

Souji looks to the ground with a frown. “Stay a Human and die, become a Fury and die, or become a Devil and live. That is, if whatever you have to do to me takes.”

“It’s not a foolproof plan.”

This choice? I would never force it upon anyone - Human, Fury or Devil - even if they were dying. This is something that the individual person must choose to happen, and for good reason. Only 10 percent of those who have had this choice made for them have successfully converted from one species to another. It is a detrimental factor for the person to make this choice of their own volition, and without a second or third party opinion to sway them from their destined or desired path.

Neither Kaoru nor I ever had to make such a choice. We are one of the lucky few who are born Devils - Pureblood Devils to be exact. There is no Human contamination along our Bloodline, and there is only one other Devil family that remains the same. The Kazama Clan. There is not a trace of Human anywhere along their Bloodline, and there have never been instances of Hybrid children being born. The same goes for the Yukimura Clan, or what’s left of it anyway.

Before the slaughter of our family, Kaoru and I were next in line for the throne. We are of Royal descent, and only two or three other Devil clans can say that they have Devils of Royal descent in them. The Kazama Clan is one that can safely say that they have Royal Blooded Devils with them - Chikage and his family being those of Royal descent. While that would make Kaoru, myself and Chikage related, it was almost a millennia ago when the Royal family split - making it near impossible for our Royal Blood to be recognised as family.

There has not been a true Royal family since the split, and, as such, it has lead to there being nearly no Devils left with Royal blood. Only the Yukimura and Kazama Clans have Royal blood as of the last two centuries, and even those numbers have dwindled due to many marrying Humans or lesser Devils - or even producing Hybrid offspring that will forever taint the Devil Bloodlines. The loss of a Royal family means that there has been no one regulating our behaviours and movements for centuries - meaning that many Devils have gotten away with crimes to both Humans and Devils.

“Chizuru.” 

Souji’s soft tone makes me surface from the depths of my mind. There’s something about his voice that makes everything seem so simple, but, at the same time, simplicity of life can more frequently involve the small traps that everyone encounters in day-to-day life. Still, simplicity is all our lives have been since our family was slaughtered, and that is all about to change. Souji, Harada and the others are about to tear down what Kaoru and I have built and drag us into their lives of bloodshed and war.

“What is it, Souji?”

“I think it’s best I head back to Headquarters. It’s getting late, and I don’t feel like trying to make my way through this forest in absolute darkness.” His tone is leaving nothing open for debate, and that means I won’t be able to convince him to stay due to the forest being dangerous in the night hours. “I’ll see you soon, Chizuru.”

He walks into the forest, the darkness appearing to be swallowing him whole. I can still hear his footsteps and his shallow breathing, and the bitterness of his tuberculosis is still stinging my nose and making my eyes water. It’s a horrific smell, but it reminds me that he is still alive and breathing - and that there is still hope in saving him. It’s a peaceful thought that makes me smile, and it is than that I realise how much I truly care and how dear my group of Human friends are to me.

The peace is broken as Souji starts coughing. It makes the hairs on my arms stand erect and chills sweep down my spine. The metallic tang of blood fills the air and that’s what makes my decision for me. I take off into the trees and follow the sickening odour of Souji, weaving my way through the trees and launching myself over fallen trees. With my extensive speed and agility, I reach a hunched over Souji mere moments after the fit started.

“Souji!” I crouch down beside him and wince every time he lets out a cough. It’s a painful sound, and it makes my heart ache. He doesn’t deserve this. 

“Chizuru-chan,” Souji croaks out, his throat obviously sore and unbelievably raw. It must be hard for him to be speaking right now, and his shortness of breath would most certainly not be helpful to him.

“I am not allowing you to walk back to town like this. You are sick.”

“I’ll be… alright…”

“You’re not going to convince me to let you keep going. There is no way.”

I slowly straighten him up, pausing as his face scrunches in pain. This is going to be a slow journey back to my home, but I cannot leave Souji out here during the night or allow him to continue on his way. Souji’s shortness of breath causes us to stop every few minutes or so, but it is not as frequently as I thought it would be. It only takes ten minutes to make our way back, and, by the time we are at my house, Souji is extremely pale and barely breathing.

I summon my strength and lift him off the ground, holding him in what people call ‘bridal style’. I open the door with my foot and make my way to my room, narrowly avoiding knocking Souji’s lolling head on the walls several times. Laying him on the futon, I fall back onto my knees beside him, my worry spiking at his undeniably shallow breathing. The faint sheen of sweat on his forehead glimmers in the candle light, and I watch as it begins to trickle down the side of his head.

Moments later, I decide to get a bowl of water and a cloth to at least attempt to cool him down. Wandering out to the kitchen, I take a bowl from the cupboard and fill it with cool water from the jug on the bench, sighing to myself as the water slowly rises to the lip of the container. This is not how I thought I would be spending tonight - taking care of a Shinsengumi member, that is. I thought that I would be reading or even relaxing in the moonlight, where I don’t need to hide myself from everyone.

I place the jug back onto the bench and pick up a clean cloth on my way back to my room - and my dying friend. I can hear his breathing from the other side of the house, and it relieves me that he is still alive. I don’t need him dying on me - not right now anyway. His prone form on my futon makes me worried. This is not the man I remember from my childhood, and that scares me. Then again, all he had to deal with when he joined the Shinsengumi after he was taken that night - the bullies and the beatings - it changes a person severely. Although, there is still a remnant of the person he used to be within him.

“Don’t,” Souji mumbles in his sleep, his brow creasing and his lips parting. “Leave her alone.”

I smile sadly as I kneel back down beside him, brushing his hair back from his sweaty face. “Souji, it’s alright. I promise.”

“Chizuru…”

Squeezing the excess water from the cloth back into the bowl, I wipe it over Souji’s forehead and clear away the sweat gathered there. He murmurs something else in his feverish state, but the the crease between his brow goes away as he calms at the coolness. His entire body relaxes at my touch and his eyes flutter open, revealing the evergreen that reminds me of the childhood we all spent playing out in the open fields of where my Clan lived. They are glimmering with a childish sheen and it makes me smile softly at him.

“Hey, Souji,” I murmur, washing out the cloth. “What were you dreaming about?”

Souji sighs as I place the cloth back on his forehead. “They took you away. Those bastards stopped us from helping you that day. I hate myself for not fighting back harder.”

“Shush. It’s alright. It’s in the past.”

“You should know that it haunts us all. That day, it’s not a good memory.”

“Go back to sleep, Souji. Dream of something good this time.”

“It was good…” He trails off as his eyes droop closed. “We were with you…”

I smile at the sleeping young man beside me and let my mind wander back to the days of our childhood. They look so different compared to back then, and yet they still look the same. They surely do not hold themselves the same way any longer - they are no longer children, but men fighting in a war. The childish light has left their eyes for the time being, but there are instances in which I can see them for what they used to be - children playing with wooden swords and fighting make believe monsters to protect me from the evil in the world.

They’re still those children, but they have grown to be men. They are still fighting with swords against monsters to protect people from the evil in this world, but they are no longer wooden and make believe - they are real and frightening. Those who oppose the Shogunate are the evil in this world that my childhood friends are fighting against. They are but children fighting in a man’s war, and it sickens me to no end. They’re all dying right before their loved ones eyes, and there’s no escaping it.

Even though I am going to watch them die right before my eyes within the next couple of decades, I cannot bare to think about it. I will be forced to watch them wither and die without any hope of living on. They will turn to dust as I only just begin to age and look more like a middle-aged woman rather than a young twenty-year-old. There are only two ways I can prevent that from happening; I can die alongside them, or I could offer them all the chance to live alongside me and hope they choose to do so. Although, I will only offer that second option if they are mortally wounded or dying right before me.

With those thoughts swarming my mind and battering it with no pause, the hours pass undeniably fast and appear to meld together. Through the window I can see the full moon has risen past its peak, and that the faint lights of the bioluminescent fireflies are starting to fade into the darkness of almost early morning. The faint moonlight highlights a figure walking towards the house, and the feminine clothing tells me that it is my brother. That further tells me that it is well past midnight.

Kaoru opens the door to my room a moment later and I hear a snort of amusement leave him. “You brought home an old friend without asking, Chizuru-nii. How cruel of you.”

I look at him over my shoulder and watch as his eyes widen at my tear stained face.

“Chizuru, what happened?”

“I remember everything, Kaoru.”

He kneels down beside me and holds me close. “It’s alright. Now, why is Souji Okita - a member of the Shinsengumi - in your bed?”

I stiffen as he says ‘Shinsengumi’. “Do not say it as though he was the one that killed our Clan.”

“I’m sorry, sister.”

“Anyway, he came to see me after I ran off earlier. He left not long after, but he started to have a coughing fit. He… he’s dying, Kaoru. Can’t you smell it? Souji doesn’t have much longer to live in this world, and yet he’s not putting up a fight.”

“Oh, Chizuru.” He tightens his hold on me as I bury my head into the crevice between his neck and shoulder. “You know what we will have to do, but only if he agrees with it.”


	5. 04 • A Betrothal of Age

The sun flits in through the walls and it cascades onto Souji’s prone form. After last night, I could not go to sleep, fearing that Souji would go in his sleep. The number of times he stopped breathing in his sleep last night was enough to give me a good scare. Out of panic, I woke him up each time. He was understanding about it, but he did say that if he does it every other night and hasn’t died yet, then I should not be worrying about him dying right in front of me. That earned him a growl and whack to the arm each time.

I climb to my feet, groaning at the stretch of my unused muscles, and walk over to the window. I slide it open and yawn, stretching my arms above my head, squeezing my eyes shut as the bright morning light almost blinds me. A grumble behind me signifies that the evergreen eyed man is once again awake. I look back at him and bite back a giggle at his appearance.

His clothes are dishevelled from sleeping in them, but that’s not the worst of it. His light reddish-brown hair is sticking up all over his head and the cloth that was once neatly folded on his forehead is laying haphazardly on top of his head. A few strands of hair appear to be being held in his mouth, and more appears to be sticking to the side of his face - either from sweat or drool, I cannot tell. One of his eyes are still closed, and the other is only half open, giving him a strange look.

“Good morning, Souji,” I giggle, covering my mouth as I giggle again. “Did you sleep well?”

Souji yawns, allowing the hair to fall free from his mouth. “Morning, Chizuru. I think I had the best sleep ever last night.”

Kaoru lets out a loud laugh from the door. “You sure look like it, Okita. You have marks on your face.”

His hands fly to his face in panic.

I bite my lip to hold back my laughter. “Kaoru, don’t be cruel. You have no marks on your face.”

Souji sighs in relief.

“Although, you appear to have drooled in your sleep, and your hair is all over the place. Not to mention, the cloth is knotted into your hair.”

Souji groans and covers his face. I let out a small laugh and walk back over to him, kneeling down once again and assessing the damage. I carefully take the cloth from the reddish-brown mess he calls hair and drop it into the bowl of water still sitting beside the futon. After that, I pick up my comb from the floor and begin to slowly untangle Souji’s hair, pausing every time he winces. Eventually his hair is knot free, and all that is left is to clean the drool from his face. To do so, I squeeze water from the cloth and slap said cloth onto the older man’s face.

He yelps out in surprise and I laugh, jumping back as he blindly swipes at me. The cloth falls off a moment later and I have to cover my mouth to staunch my laughter. Souji deadpans at me and I hear Kaoru burst out into laughter behind me, not even bothering to attempt to hide it. Souji looks like a drowned puppy with his reddish-brown hair matted to his face and water running down his face, only to drop from his chin onto the blankets covering his legs. At that, I can’t hold back my laughter any longer and let a single giggle leave, which leads me to joining my brother in his laughter. At our antics, the drowned puppy himself cracks a smile.

I leave Souji to make himself more presentable and head to the kitchen, Kaoru still laughing as he follows behind me. Kaoru has already started cooking breakfast, and that is a good thing. He is a much better cook than I am, and that’s the truth. I may be a female, but, contrary to popular belief, I cannot cook to save my life. I would prefer to eat food perfectly cooked - not undercooked or burnt to a crisp. Although, recently Kaoru has started giving me cooking lessons. Let’s just say that I have improved greatly compared to a few years back where I almost set fire to the house.

“Mmm.” Souji sniffs, a content sound leaving him. “Something smells awesome.”

I look over at my friend and grin. “That’s Kaoru’s cooking for you. It smells awesome, and it tastes ten times better.”

“I cannot wait to try this.” He turns sheepish. “I tend to put too much seasoning on the food I cook.”

“Well, that’s due to your tuberculosis. A lack of appetite and a lack of taste. Although, that’s the least of your worries with that deadly disease.”

Kaoru walks over to his friend and places a tray of food in front of him. “You can be saved though, Okita. Just keep that in mind.”

Souji sighs and stares at the mouthwatering meal in front of him. “I know, Kaoru-chan. Chizuru told me last night. I’m not sure why though.”

They both stare at me and I roll my eyes, sitting beside Souji. “You had the right to know that there was something that could be done. That’s all.”

“Now I know where Hajime-kun gets his bluntness from. He picked it up from you all those years ago.”

I decide to ignore the evergreen eyed male’s blatantly obvious jab as Kaoru places a tray in front of me, giving the porridge a frown. There’s something about the way Souji speaks of Hajime, Sanosuke and the others. I’m not sure what it is, but I have a feeling that it’s bitterness. Or maybe envy. Yes. It’s more likely envy. They did not go through being abused by other children at the Shinsengumi headquarters for all those years during ‘practice’. The thought of Souji being a plaything for those children angers me most of all, and it makes my stomach churn. How can children be so cruel?

The aroma of lilacs and sugar fills the air, and my eyes flutter shut of their own accord as it encompases me. My eyes fly open as two other familiar scents join it, but I cannot place names nor faces to the scents. There are two other familiar scents, and I know exactly who they are. I jump to my feet and hurry outside, only to be met by Harada defending himself from a dark blue haired male with a pistol, and Saito standing in a defensive position with a red haired man standing in front of him - no weapon visible.

“Sano! Hajime!” My voice causes the males to freeze. “What exactly is going on out here?”

Chikage chuckles and I notice him leaning against a tree. “Well, this is unexpected. I did not think you would destroy that barrier so easily, but I guess that spending the night with Souji Okita would do that to you.”

I catch the jealousy in his voice. “He passed out from exhaustion, Chikage. What else was I supposed to do? Leave him there? He would have died!”

Harada gives his opponent one last look before walking over to me, his spear resting on his shoulder. “Chizuru-chan, I do apologise for this. Hajime and I came to make sure Souji is okay, and then we got attacked by these three.”

I look over at Chikage with narrowed and furious eyes, glowing gold. The wind whips around and everyone’s clothing and hair flies in the small hurricane. The splashes of gold and blue leave the Humans speechless, but the Devils merely watch me. Their eyes burn a liquid gold in colour and their hair slowly turns to the colour of freshly strewn snow as it writhes in the subsiding wind. The startled expressions on the Humans faces are what cause me to stop the wind, but I don’t revert back to my Human form, and neither do the others.

“Chikage Kazama,” Kaoru all but growls from beside me, his tone unbelievably icy. “What are you and your pals doing here so early? We agreed that you would come by later.”

The former blond gives my brother a look. “What do you expect me to do when two Shinsengumi members waltz into the forest and start heading for your home? Do you want me to leave them next time so the both of you can join your Clan?”

In a split second, my short sword is drawn and is digging into Chikage’s throat. “Watch what you say about our family,  _ Chikage _ . You may be ‘something special’ to me, but I will not tolerate anyone’s slander of my Clan  _ or _ my friends. Do you understand?”

Cool metal brushes my temple. “Do you understand that I will kill you without a second thought if you harm him?”

“Back of, Kyo Shiranui. I do not need your death on my conscience as well. We Devils have lost enough numbers to last us another millenium. Do not tempt me to end your life.”

“Who are you to threaten me?”

I stare him in the eyes, daring him to try something. “Princess Chizuru Yukimura of the Yukimura Clan.”

Chikage brushes my cheek with his hand. “As well as my betrothed.”

That comment causes an eruption of chaos. Souji’s eyes are dark green, a contrast to his usually taunting evergreen, and his hands are clenched by his sides, his knuckles already turning white, and his nails most likely digging into the soft flesh of his palms. Harada’s burgundy eyes are darker than before and the grip on his spear is undeniably tight - the white marks on his knuckles being the sure sign. Shiranui instantly pulls the gun from my head and puts it away, bowing slightly in apology and in reverence. The other man - whom I am guessing is Kyuujyu Amagiri - bows in my direction. Saito’s eyes are widened only millimetres in shock, and there is slight sadness within them as well.

Kaoru’s eyes burn brightly with anger and he lets out a growl of annoyance. He obviously despises the idea, and that is what confuses me. Chikage and Kaoru used to get along so well when we were younger, so what happened to them over the past decade to cause this rift between them? Just looking between them, I can tell that their eyes are conflicted, but there has to be more than that bubbling away below the surface, and behind those emotional shells they have built up within themselves to keep both themselves and their emotions in check.

“Are you planning on killing me, Chizuru?” Chikage’s voice holds a teasing tone, but there is sincerity behind it. His eyes are staring evenly into mine, and I feel like he would not attempt to stop me if I did decide to kill him right here and now, or even later down the track. “If you are not, then I do ask for you to remove your short sword from my throat.”

I give the blond a flat look before lightly dragging the edge of the blade across his bared throat. “Why not try test me, Chikage? Just like old times. Let us see who it is this time.”

“Very well, love.”

The quick movement of his hand drawing his katana makes me grin. The next second, it is flying towards me as I side step and jab his side with the flat edge of my blade. A grin of his own dances across his handsome features as he swings again, only for me to dodge once again, jumping back. He launches himself at me and attacks with a flurry of movement. I easily parry the attacks, striking forward and leaving a gash on his face. His eyes flare in amusement as I duck under his blade, a few strands of my hair becoming separated from the rest. 

I follow the momentum and flip myself over, landing a solid kick to Chikage’s face on the way back to the ground. I land quickly and swipe his feet out from underneath him while he is still moderately dazed. He uses the momentum to flip himself over and raises an eyebrow at my choice of attack as he lands quite gracefully on his feet. In response, I wink and wave cheekily. Moments later, the ground beneath his feet dips inwards and Chikage lets out a cry as he plummets to the ground far below. The cry stops suddenly and I hear Harada let out a muffled chuckle of amusement, making me crack a smile myself. Chikage always forgot to look down.

“You alright down there, Chikage?” I call, not moving any closer to the hole.

The Devil beside me laughs. “I do believe you one-upped him this time, Princess.”

“Maybe slightly, but not by much. He always has something up his sleeve.”

Chikage’s voice echoes up from the hole. “That I do.”

In a blur of movement, Chikage leaps out of the hole and lands right before me, already going for an attack. All I do is smile. His blade clangs against Harada’s spear and I watch as his golden-red eyes widen almost comically. Releasing the spear I borrowed from Harada - without him realising, I plant my right foot and spin myself around, altering my hold on my short sword. With my free hand, I grasp Chikage’s wrist and twist it on a painful angle so he releases his katana. 

In a microsecond, my hand is wrapped around the hilt and the blade is digging into his abdomen. My short sword is back where it was in the first place - right at his throat and digging in enough to cause a small amount of blood to trickle down his pale, bared throat. I stare up at my betrothed with innocent eyes as he half glares down at me. Everyone else is deathly silent, well, almost. Their hearts are pounding undeniably loud, but their breathing is shallow and disbelieving.

“Do you concede, Chikage Kazama?” I tease, smiling sweetly up at him.

A soft smile covers his glare almost instantly. “Indeed I do, Chizuru Yukimura.”

“Good.” I sheath my short sword and place his back in its scabbard. 

“You have stolen my breath and heart once again.”

“Shush.”


	6. 05 • Walk Through the Rain

The sky is an endless expanse of a shade of dark grey that reminds me of Kondou’s eyes for some strange reason. I have not seen the man for over a decade, and I am sure that he would be middle aged by now, without a doubt. Although, I do doubt that he has forgotten me and how we used to fight all the time, and over the smallest of things. Kaoru told me that Kondou and I would argue over whether the food was ready to be eaten or not - and that I was usually right due to my keener sense of smell.

Right now, going to visit my Human friends sounds like a good idea. Kaoru is sleeping soundly after a long night at work, and that means he will not notice me gone. Although, just by the off chance that he awakens while I am at the Shinsengumi headquarters, I write him a quick note telling him where I will be, and not to wait up for me as I am unsure how long I will be gone. Once that is complete, I slip on my shoes and quietly leave the house.

The trees blur into leafy masses of green as I speed through the forest into Kyoto. The ground is soft after the rain from the previous night and I almost lose my balance a handful of times as I hit a slippery slide of mud - amongst other previously living organisms that drowned in the storm. The muck gives way to flatter ground and I all but sigh in relief as I slow to a walking pace. There is no need for me to terrorise the Humans by running at an unnatural speed through the town.

Almost the instant I enter the town, I catch a glimpse of a coat of ice. Long brunette hair pulled up into a ponytail is fluttering down his back in the wind, and I instantly know who it is. Grinning, I run normally over to him and walk quietly behind him. I mimic his every movement as he turns around, and stay hidden from his piercing blue-green eyes. After walking a mile or so, I poke him right between his shoulder blades.

Spinning around, he rips his sword from its scabbard and swipes it at me. I simply step to the side and grin at him, my eyes filled with amusement and glimmering with tease. Heisuke simply grins back at me and sheaths his katana, hugging me the second it’s back in its resting place. I return the warm hug and sigh. I have missed this child so much, and it warms my heart to see him so lively. Although it has been a decade, he has not changed in the slightest - which is what I feared.

“Heisuke-kun, how are you?” I ask, pulling back from the hug and beginning to walk.

The young male grins cheekily at me and follows. “Oh, you know how it is. Shinpachi and Sano are constantly dragging me into trouble and then putting all the blame on me. The usual.”

“That is how you three always were when you were children. Not to mention, you always seemed to fight together. Do you all still do that?”

“Of course we do, Chizuru. What do you take us for?”

“She won’t take you, that’s for sure, Heisuke,” Shinpachi teases, his voice ringing out from across the street. “Me on the other hand. How about it, Chizuru-chan? Think you’d take me?”

Harada chuckles and shakes his head at his best friend. “She’d take you down, Shinpachi. That’s for sure.”

The blue-eyed man snorts in amusement. “I’d like to see her try.”

“Fair enough.” In the blink of an eye, I am across the street and holding my short sword to Shinpachi’s throat, grinning up at the taller male. “You still think I can’t take you down? I mean, considering I can move faster than you, and more.”

The burgundy eyed man lets out a loud laugh and Shinpachi stares at me with widened, amused eyes. From across the street, Heisuke lets out a ‘whoop’ and says something about Shinpachi getting his ass kicked by a girl. At that comment, I turn to the younger male with a glare. He instantly pales and raises his hands in defence, obviously not wanting to start a fight in the middle of Kyoto. At our exchange, Harada smiles and rests his hand on my arm - a signal for me to lower my blade before other members of the Shinsengumi got the wrong idea and tried to attack me.

Sheathing my short sword, I turn to Harada as we begin to walk back to the Shinsengumi headquarters. “Was that for my benefit or theirs?”

Harada’s burgundy eyes stare at me for a moment. “A bit of both. If the others had of attacked you, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. For all I know, you could have transformed right in front of them. That would have a lot of explaining for us to do to Kondou-san and Hijikata-san.”

“Toshizo is a member of the Shinsengumi? Why is that not surprising? He was always one for the  _ bakufu _ , and the shogun being in charge. I’m guessing that hasn’t changed, so he must have done something about those Shinsengumi who became rogue and killed my Clan.”

“Chizuru, it’s best not to dwell in the past. Live in the present. Nothing is certain to occur.”

The Shinsengumi headquarters looms before us and it gives me a sickening feeling. My eyes burn bright gold and fly around the compound, searching for any signs of danger or an ambush. The only thing I catch sight of is Saito standing beneath the cherry blossom trees. The indigo of his hair and the darkness of his clothes creates a beautiful contrast with the falling light pink cherry blossoms, and it feels like a scene from a painting, or a highly detailed story book.

I break away from the others and walk over to the deep blue eyed man, staying as quiet as I can as to not disturb Saito from his moment. It is strange to see him smiling at anything these days apparently, or even showing any emotion whatsoever. Therefore, there has to be a reason that there is a warm smile on his face as he stares at the fleeting blossoms of the cherry blossom tree. I pause a few steps away from him and watch as the smile slowly fades.

“How many times has it been that the cherry blossoms of Kyoto have fallen?” His voice is quiet, but it is filled with emotion. He is leaving the Shinsengumi after all.

“Hajime-sama.”

“With the passage of time, many things change. Word affairs, ideologies, and even the Shinsengumi.”

“Is that why you’re thinking of leaving to go with that bastard Itou?”

“Even so, I do not mean that everything has changed. What I believe in are the things that stay the same.”

I snort in amusement. “Things that stay the same? You’re thinking of leaving before things can even go back to what used to be the same every day.”

Saito looks over at me, his blue eyes burning with untold emotion. “Who else is going to infiltrate Itou-sensei’s faction in order to find out what he is planning? There is no way that Heisuke would do it, and Souji is sick. I wouldn’t dream of Shinpachi doing this, and, while Harada would be ideal for this, I doubt that he would leave your side after a decade apart - and not knowing whether you were dead or alive.”

“What do you want from me, Hajime? There has to be a reason you’re telling me all this.”

“Although you may be betrothed to that Devil, I suggest that you give Harada a chance. After all, you Devils live much longer than us fleeting Humans. Possibly for centuries.”

I bristle at the jab in Saito’s tone. “You bastard, Hajime. Don’t you ask me to do such a thing. There is nothing good that could come of it, no matter how much we may wish it.”

Without waiting for a reply, I turn on my heel and walk away from Saito, almost moving too fast to pass for a regular Human. Only moments later I am being held at sword point by a man with pitch black hair and brilliant purple eyes, and that makes me growl in annoyance. I draw my short sword and plant my feet, ready to defend myself from the familiar male before me. Of course it would be Hijikata ready to attack anything that moves - who else would it be? Especially to draw a sword on a female Devil such as myself.

Seconds later, he attacks, aiming for my middle. Typical. I dodge the strike and force myself around, turning my short sword and hitting his side with the dull edge of my blade. Only seconds later, I knock his legs out from beneath him. He falls to the ground and I launch myself on top of him, holding my short sword so the end of it is resting just above his heart. His purple eyes are wide with shock and he is rigid beneath me, his arm stretched out in an attempt to grasp his katana to fend me off.

“I wouldn’t try anything, Toshizo,” I warn lowly, putting pressure on the spot above his heart. “You should know better than to try fight me when I am in a bad mood, and yet you did exactly that. How mindless you have become over the past decade.”

His eyes harden. “Who exactly are you?”

“Oh, I’m hurt. You don’t remember little old me? How sad.”

“I am quite certain that I do not know who you are.”

“Well, that’s a pity.” I grin down at him, my eyes glowing at my rising glee. “I really thought that little maneuver I pulled would have triggered something in that ridiculously thick skull of yours.”

“Hey! You!” Kondou’s voice echoes out through the area and I roll my eyes. “Get off him!”

I turn and hold my short sword up, Kondou’s striking mine not a moment later. I meet his furious gaze without falter and grin up at him. His grey eyes widen and his grip slackens on his katana. Sharply bringing my short sword up, I relieve him of his katana. It clatters to the ground not too far away, and the distraction is what I need to jab the hilt of my short sword into his knee and cause Kondou to collapse to the ground. I stand and stare down at the two men lying on the ground, both injured and weaponless.

“Neither of you have gotten any stronger since you were younger,” I spit with distaste. “What have you been doing with yourselves over this past decade. Honestly, Isami. Toshizo. I thought better of you. You disappoint me so very much.”

“Chizuru!” Harada’s voice reaches my ears and I quickly look over to see him rushing over to me. “Are you alright? They didn’t harm you, did they?”

I laugh. “Oh, Sano, they couldn’t harm me even if they tried. You know that.”

“Ah. Good point. You did take down another Devil after all.”

“Devil?” Hijikata’s rough voice sounds and I flinch at the volume, causing Harada to step in front of me as Hijikata stands. “What are you trying to say, Harada? That this boy is like those bastards who tried to wipe out the Fury Corp?”

I turn to the Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi and growl, my eyes burning with rage. “Those fake Devils deserve to be wiped out! They are killing Humans for no other purpose than their own pleasure and for blood! They are nothing but mindless beasts!”

In my anger, I feel myself lose control. A force like no other flies from my tensed body and whips around, splashes of blues, purples and gold mixed into the flurry. My hair turns as white as the snow that was on the ground only days ago and I feel my horns protrude from my skull. Rage flies through me and I step forwards, prepared to attack Hijikata. A cool hand grips my hand gently and prevents me from doing so, and it sends a wave of calm through me.

I let out a breath and look away from Hijikata as the wind stops.

“Chizuru.” Harada’s voice is soft, but there is an edge to it. “It’s alright. Hijikata meant no ill will. He was just speaking his mind.”

I scoff in annoyance. “Just speaking his mind, huh? He should’ve learnt that not everyone enjoys his thoughts by now. This is just ridiculous.”

“Wait.” Kondou’s voice sounds, a surprised edge to it. He has figured it out. “Chizuru? Chizuru Yukimura?”

I look over at him and give him a flat look. “If you have anything to say, I’d save it for later. I am not in the best mood as of right now.”

Without awaiting a response, I walk away from the males. Just at that moment, a loud  _ crack _ sounds and rain begins to pour from the sky, drenching me to the bone almost instantly. Instead of moving out of the rain, I fall to my knees in the rain, allowing it to drum down on my small form without mercy. As the rain continues, my anger slowly ebbs away and transforms into despair and sadness. There’s not much I can do about the Fury Corps continued growth, or even that Saito and Heisuke are leaving with Itou to do who knows what. Not to mention, they will be working against the Shinsengumi - the family they have here.

They are leaving behind their family willingly, and that is a luxury that not all of us can afford. Humans who have families take them for granted and treat them like they’re a pain and no more than a fly on the wall; a mere nuisance. Some of us have no families we can simply leave behind and visit on occasion. It is something that I wish I could have again, but there is no way to turn back time to when that was. Even if I did, all I would do is re-watch everything that has happened commence all over again, and nothing would change - everyone would still be dead, and I would still be living in the forest with my brother.

Then again, even if I could change this future into one with my Clan, right now, I am not sure if I’d want to. I may forget all about my friends in the Shinsengumi, and that childhood we spent together would be all the time we had. Much like now, but maybe a few more years. After we split, there is no guarantee that we’d ever meet again. That’s something I cannot fathom right now, and, as much as I’d like to at this moment, there is no way that I’d be able to be happy living my life without all of them - or maybe just one or two. They make life exciting and worthwhile, and they make me feel alive.

_ “Although you may be betrothed to that Devil, I suggest that you give Harada a chance.” _ Saito’s words flutter through my mind.  _ “After all, you Devils live much longer than us fleeting Humans. Possibly for centuries.” _

“He’s right,” I mumble softly, not wanting to admit it. “We Devils live for centuries by Human standards, and sometimes I believe it to be too long.”

“Chizuru?” a voice calls, dulled by the rain, but the lisp tells me exactly who it is. Harada. The burgundy eyed man that has captured my attention. “What are you doing out here? It’s raining.”

I look up at the man and give him a half smile. “It’s alright. It’s just water.”

“You’re going to get sick.”


End file.
